Thursday, March 26, 2015

On Oct. 25, 2012, in the outskirts of the border town of La
Joya, Texas,three Guatemalan immigrants
were shot as a Texas Department of Public Safety sniper attempted to disable
the pickup truck they were being carried in. Two of the men died and one survived.
Now the widows of Jose Leonardo Coj Cumar and Marcos Antonio Castro Estrada are
struggling to feed their children in Guatemala. Vitalino Hernandez, who
survived, still suffers injuries from the shooting and is struggling to provide
for his family.

The three families are Kaqchikel Maya from remote mountain
villages with little access to education, work or food. Recent coverage in The
Texas Observer, Univision and other media outlets detail the tragic
circumstances that pushed them to migrate to the United States to look for work
and the shocking actions by the Texas state police that resulted in their
deaths.

If you would like to contribute in a relief effort for the
men's families, please use the paypal link below. Alternatively, checks may be
mailed to Proyecto Azteca, c/o Ann Cass (re: Deaths on Sevenmile Road); PO Box
27; San Juan, Tx 78589). The contributions are not tax-deductible. Thank you
for your kindness.